I haven’t been inside the Toko Opera City (monday is closed even for a short visit, the Japanese Wikipedia voice is better than its english version) because when I went there it was close besides it is a huge complex which deserve another visit.
It is aprivate investment mainly by NTT who hold the hegemony position in the network sector. There is a mid-size mall called Gallery, a Concert Hall, with different venues, an Art gallery and…just a skyscraper above of them (probably I miss something else since a year has passed).
The architect previously (1994) projected another pubblic salient cultural spot here in Tokyo, the Contemporary Art Museum (東京都現代美術館 )about whom I will write in a later post. They have some hidentical features: the large stone walls are sporting themselves esuberantly, and they remind me somehow the japanese ancient defense Castle walls. Even if they are only adorning the indoor/outdoor hallway, they fulfill perfectly the welcome function.
His wikipedia japanese page lists many works in different japanese cities and our subject is included. In concordance with this main entrance he used marble coating in the entrance halls. Different colored patterns create elegant effects amid the luxury that sparkles from everywhere.
Last you must see the outdoor simple japanese stone garden, which is really compelling. It has a water square just below the art Gallery Café (I recall the same position for the garden at the MOT ) that let flow your thoughts very far, bringing back something from your remote brain neurones thus preparing at the best for the experience you are going to live or just to entrench the vibes you had felt inside the art space or during the theatre show.
Yes by the pictures you can tell it, it was Christmas.
cosmonauti a tokyo 